Igniter for explosive-engines.



No. 655,289. Patented Aug, 7, I900.

L. WITRY. v I

IGNITEB FOB EXPLDSIVE ENGINES.

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I WITN ESS ES: any 5% g 7 BY ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS W'ITRY, OF WATERLOO, IOlVA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WATERLOO GASOLINEENGINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,289, dated August'7, 1900.

Application filed December 16,1899- Serial No. 740,542. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it kn own that I, LOUIS WITRY, a citizenof the United States, residing at Waterloo, in the county of Black Hawkand State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inIgniters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same;

My invention relates to improvements in igniting devices for gas, oil,and other explosive and internal-combustion engines; and it consists inthe novel means employed for operating the igniting device when startingthe engine.

The object of my invention is to insure the prompt ignition of theexplosive charge in the engine-cylinder when first starting the engineand to make it possible to operate the igniting device eifectivelyindependent of the position of the piston. This object is attained inthe invention herein described and illustrated in the drawings,whichaccompany and form a part of this specification, in which the samereference-numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts, and inwhich Figure l is a central vertical sectionof the cylinder of anengine, showing the igniting device in elevation. Fig. 2 is a transversevertical section of the engine-cylinder, showin g the igniting device inelevation as viewed from the left of Fig. 1; and Fig.3 is a top view ofthe igniting device.

In the igniting device herein illustrated and described I employinaddition to the usual contact points or pieces and means for alternatelymaking and breaking contact between such contact-points automatically asthe engine operates a hand-operated and spring-retracted hammer, adaptedwhen drawn forward by the hand and then released to strike a memberconnected to the movable contactpiece and by its impact to break thecontact between said contact-pieces sharply,thus producing an effectivespark for igniting an ex plosive charge in the enginecylinder.

In the drawings, 1 is a pin, forming the fixed and insulatedcontact-piece. It is supported by an insulating-bushin g 2. 3 is themovable electrode. It has two branches or arms which preferably aresubstantially at right angles. Because of its form it is termed acrow-foot. Itis carried by a spindle 4, revolubly mounted in a bushing5. One arm of the crow-foot is beveled and is adapted to make contactwith the fixed electrode 1. The other arm of the crow-foot is in thepath of a stud 6, carried by the piston 7 of the engine. Said studencounters the crow-foot when the piston has almost reached the end ofits stroke and revolves it and its spindle 4, breaking contact betweenthe crow foot and the pin 1, and so causing the formation of a spark bywhich an explosive charge in the cylinder may be ignited.

Upon its outer end the crow-foot spindle 4: is provided with an arm 8,to which is connected a spring 9, also connected to a post 10 andtending to hold the contact-pieces in contact.

Upon the spindle 4is mounted loosely a proagain, the spring 9 moves thecrow-foot back into contact with the fixed contact-piece 1.

In starting the engine an explosive charge is drawn into theengine-cylinder by turning the fly-wheel by hand forward from the reardead-center through half or nearly half a revolution in the ordinarymanner. To compress the charge, the fiy-wheel may be turned onward tocompletethe revolution, the igniting device being operatedautomatically; but it is better to compress the charge by moving thefiy-wheel backward instead of forward until the end of the stroke isnearly reached. The hammer 11 may then be pulled forward or away fromthe lever 8, and when'released is drawn backward violently by its spring12, so that the hammer is caused to strike the arm 8 and by its impactto part the contactpieces, producing a spark. The contact between saidcontact-pieces is broken more quickly by means of the hammer than whenthe fly-Wheel is rotated by hand far enough forward or back to break thecontact, and thus a sharper spark is produced. Also because the springs9 and 12 are nearly balanced the V hammer when thus operated does notcome.

to rest at once, but vibrates back and forth three or four times,producing a succession of sparks, which insure the ignition of thecharge in case for any reason the first spark did not sufifice forthatpurpose.

I have found that whereas a simple parting of the contact-points by handwhen starting the engine often fails to ignite the charge the use of thehammer for that purpose gives far more efiective results and insures theignition of the charge at the time desired.

Having thus completely described my invention, what I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an igniting device for explosive and internal-combustion engines,the combination, with a circuit making and breaking device, and meansoperated by the engine in its movement to operate the sameautomatically, of an independent spring-retracted member, adapted, whenreleased after the spring has been placed under tension, to encounter anoperating member of said circuit making and breaking device, and by theforce of its impact to operate the same.

2. In an electric igniting device for explosive and internal-combustionengines, the combination with contact-pieces, one fixed and the vothermovable, relatively to each other, aspring adapted to move the movablecontact-piece toward the stationary contactpiece, and means operated bythe engine in its movement to separate the contact-pieces toproduce aspark, of an independent spring retracted member, adapted, when releasedafter the spring thereof has been placed under tension, to encounter themovable contact-piece and by force of its impact operate the same.

3. In an igniting device, tl1e combination, with contact-pieces, one ofwhich is movable, and a spring for holding said movable contact-piecenormally inone position, of a spring-retracted hammer, the spring ofwhich opposes, but is weakerthan, the spring of the movablecontact-piece, said hammer being adapted, when drawn forward and thenreleased, to encounter the movable contactpiece and by the force of itsimpact to operate the same.

4. In an igniting device for internal-combustion engines and the like,the combination, with a fixed contact-pin and a movable crow-footcontact-piece, both located within the combustion-space of the engine,the crowfoot being mounted upon a revoluble spindle having an externalprojecting arm, and being arranged to be actuated by the piston of theengine, of a spring tending to hold said contact-pieces in contactnormally, and a spring-retracted hammer, the spring of which opposes,but is weaker than, the spring of the movable contact-piece, said hammerbeing adapted, when drawn forward and then released, to encounter thearm on the crowfoot spindle, and by the force of its impact to separatethe contact-pieces.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

LOUIS WITRY.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. MILLER, A. WATTS.

